Afterglow
by Ms.LydiaRose
Summary: A re-vamp  no pun intended  of Twilight. Edward is still a vegetarian vampire living with Cullen's and Bella is the new girl from sunny Arizona who is sent to live with her father. Pretty much just like Twilight but in my own words. Some themes will be t
1. Chapter 1

Nine long, painfully slow, and boring decades had passed without so much as a memorable incident. Every day I'd set out, apart from my blissfully content adopted family, and try to find my own bliss. Whether that was a companion as true and loving as my mother Esme. Or a girl spirited and fun like my favorite sister Alice, at this point I'd even settle for the raw passion and beauty that was like that of my brash but elegant older sister Rosalie. Loneliness was my only lover, the never ending nights reminding me with every tick of the clock that I was to be without a better half, without one to care for and be cared for in return. At my core I was vampire, my lust for blood outweighing all other lusts, but deeper than that, true and ever present, I was a man. A man who needed an outlet for almost a centuries worth of pent up aggressions. I had never equated my hindered appetite for human blood and the fact that I had no other physical hobbies besides hunting unworthy prey, but now the resemblance seemed glaring obvious. Either I needed stronger, faster more "human" prey or I needed a mate. No sooner than the thoughts began in my mind, my pixie faced sister was at my side with a devilish grin stretching across her face.

"No Alice." I warned trying to steer all my thoughts away from unknown futures. I thought of the past, but that was what had brought me to this crossroads of life in the first place. No thoughts were safe from Alice's visions insight.

"Eddy. C'mon. Tanya doesn't even care if it's just a one night stand type of thing and apparently neither do you. Oh nasty... She's seriously into some kinky stuff, isn't she?" Alice teased as she shifted through the many visions my indecision had prompted her with.

In one the pretty, but annoying Tanya was practically tearing my clothing off and panting that this was always destined to happen. It was fate. I shuddered away from Alice's visions, my revulsion twisting all the unsavory images to a fuzzy black. Alice sighed, but gave up trying to will my future into something I clearly had no aspirations for.

I shook my "Alice, you know me, better than any one else on this earth. You know Tanya is not my idea of a mate, even if it's for only a night. Besides I want more. I want something real." I said turning away from her, to stare out the large picture windows that encompassed almost the entire front of our home.

It was raining as always in Forks, looking through the glass it seemed an ominous sign. Like even the universe was telling me that my hopes were impossible. A vampire didn't have many options when it came to dating. I could be with another "vegetarians" like my family and myself, but that left me with only Tanya and as nice and pretty as she was, she wasn't the one for me even if it was only for a night. Or I could strike out on my own, looking for a traditional vampire, only to find that the complete disregard for life that my less restricted brethren participate in, did not match up with the values and goals I applied to myself. I valued the Cullen name as more than the lawful bind that attached my makeshift family to one another. Cullen to me meant restraint, loyalty, passion, and a healthy respect for all things living. Carlisle, my admirable and patient father, had taught me that all life is sacred, even the elk and bear we ate to quiet the ever raging fire that burned painfully in our throats were to be given the full appreciation we gave to the humans.

_Stupid selfrightous ass._ Alice fumed voicelessly as all of her visions concerning me and my love life went fuzzy, unreadable. I rolled my eyes and lifted my hand to nudge her towards my bedroom door. As usual she anticipated this and dropped nimbly to the floor sitting with her legs crossed before my hand even left my side.

"We are not done with this conversation!" She looked up at me, her butterscotch eyes fluctuating between being unfocused and focused as she tried to nail down a concrete future she could lecture me on."Okay, so Tanya is a no. I can understand that, but you can't count yourself out without even contending! All you need is rebound"

I shook my head, confused, and let the corners of my mouth fall. "A rebound from what?"

"From your life." She grinned. "You just need that starter date. A girl you neither want to marry or sleep with, someone to help you put yourself out there. Practice."

My head swam with the word.. Practice was something you did when you wanted to succeed. My blackened shell of heart felt that way, deep down inside, but my head wanted to remain practical. There was no point in practicing when there would be no main event. I didn't have Alice's foresight and luck, Jasper and her were an anomaly. Two rogue vampires finding a conscious and each other with no outside interferences besides Alice's spotty visions. Or even Rosalie's restraint and fierce maternal instinct that lead her to save Emmett. Or Carlisle's compassion that could only be fittingly rewarded with someone as tender hearted as Esme. What was I but a wolf in sheep's clothing. A monster who was terrified of his own desires.

The flickers in Alice's mind faded in and out of focus and with blinding speed. I saw myself, was I smiling? Why? I haven't had a reason to smile since our family moved here to Forks, the gloomy weather suited me perfectly and the forests where teeming with mountain lions and grizzly bears. Our last destinations were distinctive in there own ways, but living night-to-night as we routinely were burdened into doing was maddening. At least in Forks the daytime was our consort, the rain-heavy clouds providing enough overcast that we spent more days in the general public, going to school, the girls shopping in Port Angeles or Olympia and us, men, camping freely without scrutiny. The visions continued to spiral and contort as my mind made and disregarded decisions in the multi-faceted way only a vampires mind can transition. Alice saw me with girls from school, brittle humans, Jessica Stanley's blond curls matted with blood after one innocent night on the town with me. My inner demon unable to down out the thrum of blood that hammers through the paper-thin blood vessels on her pale neck. Not that Jessica Stanley was anything close to my type of woman. She was a vulgar child whose delusions of me commonly reached the perverse rather quickly. Angela Webber, tall and lanky, but kinder than most other humans, she fared better than Jessica in these visions. Instead of a quick terrifying death at the jaws of a natural killer, she would instead have an irrational fear of the dark, her life reduced to looking over her shoulder for danger and never fully understanding why it is she is drawn and justifiably petrified of the unusual Cullen boy who asked her out that one time. No I couldn't and I wouldn't do that to a human, if it were even possible. Tanya and her sisters had tried human lovers most not making it through the most basic mating rituals. Sexual gratification was not worth risking the life of an fragile mortal. There were more visions, some girls I didn't even recognize, all trysts ending up in blood or accusations and rebuff.

_You don't know the future, brother. I don't even know the future with complete certainty. You can't let your own limitations be your undoing. _Alice chided me mentally as she stood and bounded out the room in a movement so fast it blew the sheet music I had lying in to particular fashion around my now untidy room.

"Thanks sis." I muttered letting my frustration poison the words so they came out fully drenched in sarcasm.

Alice laughed from the lower level of the house as she busied herself with clothing choices for the upcoming day at school. She knew my moods probably as well as her beau even without his special ability, she knew I was not upset with her or the life that was chosen for me. It was the melancholy that had me on edge and by tomorrow today's worries wouldn't be worth it's weight in salt. Vampires were blessed in this regard, we didn't have to dwell on the inane, our expansive minds could process a litany of things in seconds, we were easily distracted because of this, and at times like it was my only solace.


	2. Chapter 2

I looked around the crowed bedroom I was sentenced to for the next year and a half of my teenage life. The rocking chair in the corner was old, faded and better befitting a baby room, but Charlie's underlying obsession with his former life with my mother and I had briefly here kept him tossing out anything that, in his eyes, still made us a family. I briefly flirted with tossing it out with he was work to see if how long it would take him to notice, but that it seemed cruel somehow. Like it would diminish the time my mother and him had spent together as man and wife. Besides one rocking chair would do nothing to change the fact that he would never be over Renee. When my mother left with me she also took his heart with him. It made me sad to think about my father in emotional pain. There was nothing I could do now to save either of them from the pain so there wasn't much point in pretending that I could. A better use of my time would to figure out how I would make my predominately spring and summer wardrobe work in the dismal, too green , and wet Forks. Goose bumps prickled up and down my arms at the thought of going out in the constant mist that coated every rock, tree, and hapless person.

My eyes on their on accord flicked to the clock on the modest driftwood nightstand, my father's friend Billy Black had made when my father informed him and more than half of the population of Forks of my arrival. I personally loved it, it was bone dry and ashen, disjointing it from all the squishy green that seemed to cover every square inch of the Olympic peninsula. It reminded me of the desert. Of Arizona and my mother. Thoughts of my mother removed the content facade I had been wearing since Charlie picked me up at the Sea-Tac airport earlier that morning and I crumpled onto the floor, sobbing. How was this going to work? Not having friends back home didn't matter, I had Renee, she was like having a needy friend and a naughty child all rolled up in the unreliable but always exciting package of a mother.

There was never a dull day with her, whether she was learning to surf from the invariably jolly surfers who claimed most of the 840 mile California coastline as there own private beach or motorcycle lessons from reformed Hell's Angels facilitating clean needle drives and VFW potlucks. Mom had a soft spot for those who had it bad, financially, emotionally, physically, or socially. I had always believed my mother's lackluster first marriage had given her the affinity to help all others struggling in a life they no longer wanted. Personally it found it a tad selfish that my mother never stopped to consider what Charlie would be left with. The drama and gossip of a small town can be monumental in making someone afraid to get back out there and continue with a normal life after mild tragedy strikes. Sure, he's Police Chief Swan, but in the quiet whispers and sideways looks he will always be poor ol' Charlie Swan left wifeless and childless by the flighty and irresponsible Renee Higgenbotham.

I didn't want that stigma to follow me any more than what was expected seeing as I was infamous daughter returning home to make amends with the father I barely knew or however the locals chose to see it. To be completely honest I didn't want anything to make me distinct, everyone would soon know all the embarrassing aspects of my life that was so much easier to hide in a school thousands strong who didn't even know I existed. I was be an oddity here. A new shiny clumsy toy with a juicy hometown back story to make things even more dreadfully amusing to all those with idle minds making idle chatter. The thought made the next day's, the first day of school, outlook so bleak I almost called my mom to come pick me up and take her with Phil and herself where ever they were going. Any place had to be better than here.

I hadn't realized I had even fallen asleep until my alarm clock trilled out its annoying beep-trio designed to cut through every warm dream of browner pastures. I showered slowly letting as much of the waters heat soak into my bones before scurrying out to get dressed. First day of school, jeans and dark blue vee-neck sweater, I had learned through the Renee's transient period that when going to a new school its best to stick with the usual, plain, safe classics. No need to branded by a ugly holiday sweater or trying to be clueless-ly fashionable. I didn't have to bone structure or coloring to be fashionable to anyone besides Bram Stroker or Ann Rice. I rushed down the stairs colliding with my father who was sitting on the bottom stair lacing his boots.

"Is there a fire Bells?" Charlie wheezed trying to regain his composure to stand up.

I rubbed the sore spot on my shin left by Charlie's elbow I careened into and limped into the kitchen to grab a granola bar and glass of milk.

"No Dad." I mumbled stuffing more than necessary into my mouth so I wouldn't have to stumble through polite conversation. Charlie stood looking at me reproachfully from the doorway until he realized that was probably the most he was going to get from me and went to the foyer to get ready for work.

I glanced at the clock one last time as Charlie fastened his gun holster to his pants and slipped into his dark green Forks Police Department jacket, it was late enough to head to school without looking like an overachiever. I tossed on the new down coat Renee insisted on buying me before my trip, I mentally thanked her as the damp, cool Autumn morning engulfed me as Charlie and I left the house. He waved over his shoulder and mumbled a good luck before getting in the cruiser and driving away leaving me with the big rusted red truck he acquired for me, I'm sure at a deep discount, from Billy. The almost corroded door opened loudly scaring away a flock of crows nestled in the tree above me. Great, because this won't attract any attention at all! I thought angrily as I jumped into the large cabin.

The ride to Forks High School wasn't as bad as I expected with a truck of this age, it was definitely pre-sixties, so there was no way I was going to push the old girl more than 40 mph. As much as I didn't want to admit it the truck was wholly mine. It fit me to a tee. It was big and indestructible, something I severely needed. I was known for tripping on utterly smooth floors and taking unsuspecting graceful people down with me. It was never a pretty thing when I couldn't commit fully to walking. One tiny distraction and there I would be picking up an arm full of books and trying to apologize to the 20 or 30 people who would be now inconvenienced by my debilitating clumsiness and ability to find any trip-able crack in any surface.

I flung the large hood of my warm jacket over my hair and ran from the truck into the warm main office. I didn't even get to great the secretary before a very large loud man emerged from a tucked-away office and grabbed my small hand into a firm and painful handshake.

"Isabella Swan!" The stress-crease faced man, I assumed to be the Principle, crooned.

I nodded and tried to arrange my facial features so they only showed my nervousness and not the annoyance I couldn't affray. It wasn't his fault that I was obligated to rot in this mushy green hell-hole until Renee got tired of following around Phil's minor league baseball nobodies and she begged for my company. Hopefully.

After a ten minute video on substance abuse, another one for sexual harassment, and mission statement briefing I was sent on my own to find my first class. English, building 3, Mr. Mason. I found the building easily enough seeing as they were numbered big enough for Mr. Magoo to find. Walking in the students didn't seem any different from any other school I went to, they stared at me as if I had nine heads and shook their heads disapprovingly when Mr. Mason said I was from Arizona. It doesn't help to be so pale you are almost translucent. I thought it would be an advantage here where the sun doesn't ever seem to shine, but just as it was back home I still stuck out like sore thumb. I made eye contact with one baby faced boy in the front row, big mistake, he grinned at me like I was a prized big mouth bass and winked. I shuddered and hurried to the empty collection of desks in the way back trying not to make the same mistake and look anyone in the eye.


	3. Chapter 3

Personally I believe that even before the change I could have taken on De La Hoya, but you know, we'll never know so why speculate." Emmett said matter-of-fact to Jasper that morning on the way to class.  
>Alice and Rosalie rolled there eyes in unison and broke off to the left to go to the girls room, waving bye to me and blowing kisses to their respective lovers. Jasper's incredulation wafted over Emmett and I as he pondered the validity of Em's statement. Jasper tended not to let his emotions effect or alter any of the families moods, but when it wasn't a serious issue he didn't feel the need to expel the energy to keep his gift reigned in.<br>_Maybe I couldn't. You know I was strong, but maybe not that strong. _Emmett thought subconsciously under Jasper's influence.

Jasper felt the shift in Emmett's demeanour and changed tactics quickly. "There's no one who could stop you now, though, brother!" Jasper amended sending out a wave of hope and admiration.

I punched him softly and infinitesimally in the arm, to let him know I approved. Emmett's mood perked up instantly and before either of us could put a damper onto it he was chatting enthusiastically about his odds of winning various fights against warriors and soldiers through out history.

I let Jasper and Emmett's conversation run in the back of my mind while I used my "extra" ability to listen to the unspoken thoughts of Forks High's dull and unimaginative students. I would spend the rest of the day ignoring all their useless mental chatter, but as per my usual I wanted to make sure the secret we would kill to protect was in-fact protected. It was odd, most of the cretins who were usually self-obsessing and agonizing over the petty dramas that only a high school can produce, were all concentrating on the a new addition to the student body, Isabella Swan, the police chief's daughter.

_I bet she was into drugs down in Phoenix that's why she was sent to live here. _A greasy haired boy mused, the image of Ms. Swan filling his mind, she was average. Long brown hair, brown eyes, ivory skin that seemed paler than most of the students here in this sun starved town. Although there was something remarkable about her eyes, but before I had time to discern what it was, the greasy boys thoughts became vulgar. He imagined himself kissing the fragile looking Isabella roughly and throwing her onto his Star Wars clad mattress and pawing at her like she was scratching post. It was pathetic, I banished his thoughts and went in search of someone else's perception of this delicate girls arrival.

Bella, as she was instructing the others to call her was very shy, bashful even. Mike Newton a vile imbecile whose exasperating thoughts I made a habit to ignore was thinking the most provocative thoughts about the comely girl unfortunately had the best view of her as she chatted tensely with him.

Bella was turned slightly looking through her eyelashes as Mike gave her the break down of Forks High while simultaneously undressing her with his eyes. Who was dating who, who was popular, science geeks, overachievers, and jocks.

"_What do you consider yourself?" _Bella asked.

_The only guy here who should be considering. _Mike joked lamely before answering Bella more formally. "_I'm a jock, I guess. I play baseball, football, and hockey in the winter."_

Bella bit her full bottom lip her liquid chocolate eyes apprehensive. "_And me? What would I be considered?" _She asked her voice small.

_Fine as hell. "Um...well you're new, but I'm sure you'll find your niche soon enough. Are you athletic?" _Mike questioned his eyes leering up and down her slender soft body.

A look flickered across Bella's face a mix somewhere between horrified and hysteric but she composed herself and shook her head, no. I was momentarily distracted by the subtle head shake as it caused the light streaming in the room to turn her sable brown tresses a muted fiery red/brown.

She was an exquisite creature, something about her satiny skin, the innocence and knowing in her eyes. It had dawned on me then that I had not tried to access her thoughts, maybe that is what had kept me enthralled by her. The selfishness of human thought tended make even the most beautiful face ugly. I used my auxiliary sense to 'listen' to everyone in a 300 mile radius trying to pinpoint Bella's voice. I had heard it through Mike's thoughts which should have made it easier to find amongst the others, but for some reason it alluded me. I isolated all the known voices, my family, the student body, teachers, the janitorial staff, the neighbors and muted them in my head all in hopes that the few stray unknown mental voices would belong to beautiful Bella.

_And in world news the Chinese Prime Minister..._A news anchor droned on. Not what I was looking for.

_Black shoes, red dress? Red shoes ...black dress? _The unsure voice was distinctly female and approximately Bella's age, but the tenor was wrong. The voice was too high pitch with a hint of a New England accent. It couldn't have been her.

_I do hope the grand-kids come to visit me...I've been awfully lonely since poor Maurice died. May he rest in peace. Should I call Kathy and ask her to come keep me company...no then she will think I can't handle living on my own and try to convince to look into Bogachiel Adult Care Center...fancy name for an old folks home.. _The old woman's thoughts were despairing, but still they made me frustrated when they did not belong to Bella. Not in all my years as this monstrosity modern society called vampire, did I have someone who could hide their thoughts from me. Not one mind was I unable to see every conscious and unconscious thought. Until now. Until Bella.

Part of me felt relief that not only would I have a closer access to work the annals of Bella's mind, but I would be able to see her face without seeing them through muddied weak human eyes. I scantly noticed when Emmett and Jasper bid me ado to go off to their respective classes. I walked into Mr. Mason's English room fully prepared to take my usual seat in the back...next to Bella, but was in no way prepared for the smell that slammed into me like a Mack truck filled with concrete. The smell overpowered every other sense, I was no longer Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I was a predator. A hunter. Killer. Vampire.


	4. Chapter 4

I thought by scurrying to the desks in the way back I would be saved from frivolous chit-chat, but the baby faced boy followed me to the back to blab while Mr. Mason got his study notes together and waited for the rest of the students who were steadily trickling in. Mike was his generic name that went with his generic face and generic high school perception. He had spent the last 5 minutes explaining to me the ins and outs of FHS.

"There are like all the normal groups you find in high schools. I'm sure its on a smaller scale then Phoenix, but we have our prom queens, jocks, nerds, and teacher's pets too." Mike was explaining his eyes staring rudely at the v of my sweater.

I looked up at him. "What do you consider yourself?"

Mike's chest literally puffed out and his cute chubby-cheeked face broke into an exuberant smile. "I'm a jock, I guess. I play baseball, football, and hockey in the winter."

Of course he was a jock it only seemed fitting. I'm sure he was even the quarterback, but it didn't impress me the slightest. Sports was what dim boys excelled at so they could get into the colleges mommy and daddy picked out. I wasn't usually one to stereotype anyone, but Mike's statement made me think. Back home I wasn't even lucky enough to be classified as a loner or a nerd. No one noticed me long enough to form any sort of opinion about me. I went through 2 years of high school without a single person even asking for a pencil from me. I was a nobody. Invincible.

"And me? What would I be considered?" I asked Mike before I could stop myself.

He frowned fleetly and cleared his throat. "Um...well you're new, but I'm sure you'll find your niche soon enough. Are you athletic?" His eyes racking over my body with his question.

Athletic! No, stability-challenged maybe. I was a definite klutz. I once manged to send my gym coach to the hospital as well as a third of her cheerleading squad when I attempted to try out for the team. One of Renee's good intentions for me gone horribly wrong. Even something as non-threatening as pom-poms are a deadly weapon when placed in my uncertain hands.

I shook my head no and Mike smiled wistfully, probably already having fantasies of us as the jock couple. That would never happen even if I had more skills than Shaquille O'Neil. Mike was cute, sure, most of the boys who were boring holes into my flesh with their stares where, but if it was just because I was the new girl. Tomorrow I would be old news no longer fresh meat and my reputation as invisa-girl would be restored.

It wasn't that I didn't want to have the normal teenage high school experience, with chatty girlfriends and a hunky boyfriend and parties and dances and summer trips down the coast, but I knew in my heart that would never be me. I wasn't the type of girl who cared about clothing or movie stars. I was awkward and blundering and socially inept. I never knew what the right thing to say was or what the hot topics were. I preferred to live in Jane Austin or Emily Brontë's world where men where men and woman were like me, shy but full of gumption. Mike was not an Austin man, he was typical and commonplace.

Mike asked me something else, but at that moment I couldn't comprehend the words flooding out of his mouth. A tall, lean dazzling bronze haired boy walked into the room and froze, his unusually dark, revulsion filled eyes were locked onto mine. His body frozen one hand almost extending out as if to grab me the other affixed to his side, his hand in tight fist. I was shocked, appalled even, he didn't know me from Adam and he was glaring daggers at me like I just ran over his cat. I couldn't help the frown that dragged down the corners of my mouth, hot tears welled up into my eyes making them sting. Mike noticed the shift in my mood and looked back at the door scowling instantly.

"What's Cullen's problem?" He mused.

I shook my head unable to speak or break the paralyzing fear the mean gorgeous boy had suddenly trapped me in. The motion seemed to only agitate him more, the hand extended out to me clapped abruptly to his mouth and he looked as if he make puke or faint. His snow white skin seemed to get more haggard with each passing second. The whole exchange couldn't have been more than 30 seconds, but it felt as if it was an eternity before the boy composed himself and walked stiffly to the empty seat next to mine. He take a second to glare blackly at me then shifted his seat as far away as possible and laid his head on his desk, facing away from me and whatever it was that I was doing to offend him so.

Mike gaped at him then spun around in a huff and ambled back to his desk in the front without even the courtesy of a wave. Who was this guy anyway? Cullen, Mike had said I think. The name didn't seem to fit him, it was average, like Mike or Ben. This 'Cullen' seemed anything but average. His style hinted towards Victorian undertones with expensive modern sensibilities. His hair was disheveled, but in a stylized way it only added to the smoldering uniqueness of his perfectly carved face making him look even more exquisite. But boy was he rude! Maybe the look had nothing to do with me, but he wasn't making me feel reassured.

Mr. Mason started his lecture and the boy lifted his head, his hand was still covering his mouth and nose but he didn't look so angry now. More resolved and pained. So maybe it really had nothing to do with me, he could have received a call before coming into the room about a dead relative or maybe his girlfriend just broke up with him. There was no way my one second of eye contact had triggered that murderous glare. I pondered the possibilities as Mr. Mason droned on about how language is what separates us from the animals.

Instead of counting the minutes until I could leave and have the weight of whatever was bothering the bizarre boy to my left I studied the back of my classmates. Noting hairstyles and colors, shirt designs and body structure. A boy, Lee, I think his name was slouched quiet noticeably he back looking almost humped as his face teetered inches away from his desk. It looked uncomfortable to sit that way and subconsciously my body straightened further in the chair. Mike would turn ever few moments to glare at 'Cullen' and half-smile at me. I couldn't return the gesture, it was taking all my strength to sit here and not pounce on the boy next me and demand to know why he was torturing me so. My fingers twitched at the thought of slapping him the face and telling him that this was already a horribly stressful day and he was rude for making me feel worse, but some deep rooted instinct told me to even confront the boy would not end well in my favor.

I shifted my hair to my left side so it would create a barrier between me and the strange boy, but even that seemed to set him on edge. He dropped his head with an exasperated sigh and an audible thump to the desk again. Mike turned at the sound and glared at the both of us. I sighed and laid my head on my desk as well. Wow I was off to a really great start so far, this year could only get worse.


	5. Chapter 5

Finally the bell rang and my classmates bolted out of the room in such blinding speed I was frozen staring at the empty rows of seats ahead of me in astonishment. I guess you can move quickly when you aren't afraid your feet will send your face hurtling toward the floor. Even Mr. Mason was out of the room before I had time to collect my notebook and backpack. I didn't even notice 'Cullen' had lingered behind until he spoke.  
>His voice velvety and masculine made me jump. "Bella?"<br>I gasped at the fury I saw in his eyes when I looked up at him. His mouth was twisted into a forced pained smile and he seemed to be holding his breath letting only minuet amounts out with each breath. He was breathtaking even in his anger.  
>"Yes?" I asked my voice breaking, out of fear and awe.<br>His eyes roamed over my face looking for... what? I didn't know. I frowned after a minute of silence passed. He nodded his head in some silent agreement before whispering "I apologize."  
>"Wha-" I started to say, but he he flashed a brief apologetic smile and stalked out of the room, leaving me breathless and more confused than I had ever been. I felt my cheeks redden and my hands break out in a sweat. He apologized? For the dirty looks? Or something worse to come? I shuddered at the thought and suddenly the empty room felt too small, unsafe. I grabbed my things and hurried out tripping several times in the process.<br>My next classes flew by in a daze, Spanish with Ms. Goff the only subject I needed one hundred percent of my brain function and focus, then study hall which unfortunately Mike had as well and since the seats were not assigned he ran quickly to claim the empty desk next to mine and spent the next hour telling me about his life. He had moved from California at a young age, the news made me like him a tiny bit more, he was a fan of warmth like me. His parents were wealthy and that added an arrogant edge to his words as he explained that his family opened the best outdoor outfitting store in a 500 mile radius.

I rolled my eyes when he wasn't looking and began to doodle on the cover of my notebook, elegant cursive C's I noticed and I scratched them out before Mike had a chance to see. He continued to ramble with no response needed from me. He told me of his hopes and ambitions, which were mediocre and seemed pleased with himself when the bell rang, but I found myself being even more annoyed that his distraction had deterred me from thinking about the apology. The bell rang twice sounding it was lunch and I sighed with relief. I needed to be able to sit without the surveying eyes of the teachers or curious glances from students either too timid or uninterested with actually talking to me.

The lunch room was crowded when Mike and I arrived, I kept a measured distance between Mike and I. Not too far away as if we were not walking together, but not to close either to give people the wrong ideas about us. I didn't need a rumor going around on my first day. The lunch trays were light, but felt like a ton of bricks in my feeble arms. I needed to lie down before the stress of the day did that for me and my first day would always be remember as the day Bella fainted in the lunch room. I settled on getting a water and an individually packaged fruit cup. My appetite wasn't what it should have been seeing as my breakfast that morning was pitiful, but the boy had put butterflies and knots all through my stomach and it would take a miracle to keep what little I was putting in down.

I followed Mike numbly sitting at a chair he pulled out for me. I blushed when he insisted on pushing it in too, this was beyond embarrassing. Even more so when the dirty blond haired girl next to me snickered and glowered when I looked in her direction. Great another person to hate my guts. But this girl was more cunning that her teeny-bopper look suggested.

"Hi Bella! I'm Jessica Stanley, call me Jess. I'm really pleased to finally meet you, everyone's been telling me all morning how pretty and nice you were and I can see they weren't kidding!" She said in mock appreciation, her smile mocking and her eyes judging every emotion on Mike's face.

It was obvious Jessica had a thing for him and I was competition to her. I admired her approach, killing with kindness was always my strategy, but she was a master at it I even believed for once second that she was in fact pleased to meet me, but the tightening of her eyes when Mike beamed at me suggested otherwise.

I plastered the biggest, warmest smile I could muster on my face and replied. "No Jess. The pleasure is mine. Everyone here has been so great to me, this is such a nice town. You are so lucky to have lived here your hole life" I gushed.  
>Jess anticipated my move and countered with one of her own. "Thank you, but no it's you who must have had a charmed life. Living in the desert, going to Las Vegas and California. Wow." Her sickly sweet smile turned acerbic. "Although you seem very pale for someone who spent their whole life in the sunshine." She says with a innocent giggle.<br>I don't know what to say. Be witty. Be funny. I command myself, but my mind is drawing a blank. I shrug and open my fruit cup hoping for a few moments silence so I can collect my thoughts and prepare for round two.  
>"Pale or not, she's hot." A homely, but athletic looking boy says from the end of our long table.<br>Mike nods feverishly with agreement making Jessica almost vibrate with anger. I blush out of sheer chagrin and shove a mouthful of fruit into my mouth. So much for a quiet lunch.

"You are very pretty Bella." Jessica says to me, but looking at only Mike. He fidgeted under her intense stare, but doesn't break eye contact. This might be my out, a way to get Mike off my back and Jessica tamed just a bit.

"So are you guys...like a couple?" I ask with faux shyness and curiosity.

Jessica is stunned by my words, I see the gears in her head turning. She doesn't know if I'm trying something or just asking. She giggles and blushes.

Mike clears his throat and grimaces slightly. "Um... not exactly. We..uh...date sometimes."

"Oh. Well you two would make such a cute couple. You guys remind me of Cinderella and Prince Charming." I almost gag as I say the words.

Jessica pleasure with my statement is palpable and she bristles when Mike smiles in spite of himself. I smile widely at both at them and stuff another mouthful of fruit in my mouth.

"Mike, do you remember that summer we went berry picking?" Jessica reminisces and I tune out her and Mike's conversation as I scan the room. I mentally patted myself on the back and they leaned closer to each other across the table talking about past dates and the possibility of future ones.

I didn't even realize who I was looking for until I spot him as far away from me as possible in the small lunch room. His table half full with the most gorgeous people I had ever seen. A tall statuesque blond who was half turned in her seat and leaning back on a colossal curly haired boy with the cutest dimples I had ever seen was laughing and talking excitedly with a small pixie like girl with spiky black hair and a dancers body. The serious faced boy next to her looked famished although the tray of food in front of him and all of the others at the table remained untouched. He was scanning the room like me, but there was something more sinister to it. Like he was summing up everyone. Like a hunter watching his prey. I trembled and willed myself to stop analyzing him. The boy from my English class was looking at me, his expression perplexed and almost bored but our eyes seemed locked on one another. Trying to figure the other one out first.

"Bella!" Jessica's trill voice me jump and turned to look at her thankful for the rest.

"Sorry. I was just...uh.." I let my sentence trail off. I was staring what else could I say.

Jessica looked in the direction I had been and laughed knowingly. "That's the Cullen's." She said with a sniff.

Cullen's. That was the family name. Seemed better suited.

"The tall blond is Rosalie Hale and the intense looking one across the table from her is her twin Jasper. They are Dr. Cullen's wife's niece and nephew. She adopted them or something." Jessica said this like it was disgusting to her. I couldn't imagine why and didn't care enough to ask.

I allowed myself one quick glance to the table, the boy was still looking at me so I looked back to Jessica. "The big one?"

"Emmett Cullen. He's handsome, but no girl has ever dared to even talk to him. Besides he's dating Rosalie and no girl is up for that challenge. The small girl is Alice Cullen, she's the nicest of the Cullen family in my opinion, though I've never personally talked to any of them. And the dreamy one is Edward. He is a complete waste of a pretty face though, he doesn't talk to any of the girls here. Not even a hello." Jessica huffed.

I smirked before I could stop myself and I couldn't help the words that came out of my mouth. "He talked to me." I gloated senselessly.

Jessica's mouth dropped open with an audible pop. "What did he say?"

I briefly considered lying, but the mention of Edward speaking to me had the whole table in an awed, hushed silence. I didn't like being center of attention no matter the reason and to lie in front of the doubtful and judging eyes of my new peers was not an option. I'd stutter and stumble over my words so I stuck with the truth. "He said I apologize. Then walked away. I don't know why." I say trying to make it sound lighter then the actual exchange had been.

Everyone leaned back away from me and pondered my words. I took the small break as a chance to sneak and stare at Edward. Edward. Now I had a proper name that befitted the dark angel who had tormented my day. The minute Edward's eyes and mine synced again I knew I had done something wrong. He looked betrayed, hurt. My eyes turned apologetic and I wished I could rush over there and tell him how sorry I was.

He didn't talk to the people here for a reason and even though we were off to a very rocky start he had chosen to say something to me, even if it was cryptic and slightly creepy. But how could he know I told. Once again I had to chide myself for being so self absorbed, like his every look was in direct correlation to everything I said and did. There was no possible way he even knew what I was talking about so the look had to be because of something else. Someone else. I hung my head in shame as the shock wore off of the others at my table and they began to toss theories on Edward's behavior around.


End file.
